Council tangles over its own spending

July 25, 2009|By Mark Schlueb, Sentinel Staff Writer

There's a behind-the-scenes fight brewing among Orlando commissioners over how much tax money they spend to run their offices.

City Council members have already agreed to forgo scheduled 4 percent pay raises for the second year in a row. One called the decision to keep their $47,945 salaries unchanged a "no-brainer," given that the city's budget calls for laying off 212 employees next year.

The six commissioners have also agreed to cut their office budgets by about 11 percent -- or $160,000 -- to a combined $1.4 million next year. There's no policy that restricts the amount of commissioners' budgets.

But one commissioner is pushing for more cuts.

'A lot of infighting'

"There was a lot of infighting with commissioners telling other commissioners how to run their districts," Commissioner Patty Sheehan said.

The battle in the second-floor council offices started weeks ago when Commissioner Robert Stuart proposed slashing office budgets that include salaries and benefits for each commissioner and an aide as well as travel costs, supplies and neighborhood improvements. There's also money for commissioners to sponsor events such as community picnics and school-supply giveaways and donate to neighborhood associations and charities.

Stuart proposed limiting travel spending to $5,000 each, a proposal widely seen as targeting commissioners Sam Ings and Daisy Lynum. Four commissioners' budgets are roughly the same, but Ings and Lynum spend more -- primarily on community events and travel to out-of-town National League of Cities conferences.

Ings is the biggest spender, tallying about $40,000 more than his colleagues, and Lynum spends about $16,000 more. Travel and community events make up most of the difference.

Stuart said Friday that he will introduce an amendment requiring that each commissioner receive the same amount of money.

"It's the right thing to do," he said. "I'd like there to be consistency on the commissioners' budgets. They ought to be the same."

Stuart is sure to face resistance, though. Both Ings and Lynum said Stuart should focus on his own district because he doesn't understand the needs of their low-income west Orlando neighborhoods.

"This is a way to try to stifle a colleague whose district you don't know anything about. I will scream bloody murder if anybody tries to take the money I need for the people in my district," Lynum said.

She defended her work with the National League of Cities, where she is president of the black caucus. Conferences allow her to learn about grant programs and efficiencies that save the city more than her travel costs, she said.

Ings said he would also oppose further spending cuts.

The amount of money is relatively small, so the fight is mostly symbolic. The council and Mayor Buddy Dyer are trying to fix a budget deficit projected at $41.5 million next year. Dyer has asked all departments to trim spending by roughly 12 percent, though for political reasons he generally takes a hands-off approach when it comes to commissioners' budgets.

Dyer orders freeze

Dyer, who is paid $156,205, has said he'll forgo a raise and take a 2 percent pay cut. He has also ordered similar steps -- a wage freeze and a weeklong unpaid furlough -- for the 88 appointed officials who are under his control -- generally, the city's highest-paid employees.

When it comes to council budgets, Orlando residents might be the ones who feel the pinch. The biggest proposed cuts would hit discretionary accounts -- $100,000 this year -- that are mostly used for neighborhood improvements. Next year, that's being cut to around $70,000.

That means less money to control speeding on residential streets, repave potholed roads and bring light to dark neighborhoods.